An evolution more than a revolution, but Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 has a few impressive tricks up its sleeve all the same
Historically Shimano has always worked on a three-four year cycle for its top tier groupsets, progressing methodically through the range.
Dura-Ace, as the flagship group, obviously gets the royal treatment, receiving the highest level of technology and utmost premium enhancements ahead of the rest.
Inevitably though, this always benefits the lower tiers, Ultegra and 105, that can borrow from this learning next time they find themselves on the engineer’s drawing board.
2016 was Dura-Ace’s turn, having been without an overhaul since the 9000 groupset was launched mid-2012 (for 2013 model year). Enter then, Dura-Ace 9100.
New look
The changes in its appearance are instantly noticeable.
The chainset, the centrepiece of the group, has bulked up even more than its already chunky predecessor.
It has also acquired a new glossy surface finish that, like the other components has a fade from black to a sort of gun-metal or pewter grey.
It has retained the same asymmetrical four-arm configuration, supposedly to improve power transfer, but for my money the more crucial feature (that thankfully has also been retained) is the hollow outer chain ring.
Still the best
I believe it is this alone that gives Shimano supremacy in the front shifting department, and the 9100 upholds this accolade.
Shimano’s hollow chainring design is unbelievably stiff laterally, such that as the front mech shoves the chain sideways into the back face of the outer ring (during shifting from the inner to outer ring) there is no loss of efficiency in the system and the shift is made without hesitation. Every time.
It’s impressive for a mechanical shift to be practically as flawless as a motorised electronic shift, but Dura-Ace 9100 manages it, as 9000 did before.
Shifting perceptions
Part of that process is of course the shift levers themselves. Shimano claims to have reworked the internals of the Dura-Ace 9100 shifters to further reduce the lever stroke required to make the shift, theoretically leading to easier, faster shifts.
I wouldn’t say this was particularly noticeable over its predecessor though, at either end of the drivetrain.
To be fair though, Shimano trying to improve on the 9000’s shifting is like trying to improve on the acceleration of a Formula One car – without some major new innovation, you are only ever going to be making tiny gains.
Staying with the shift levers, the hood ergonomics feels much the same too, although apparently also reworked slightly to be a little slimmer this was not overly discernable.
The textured rubber hood does make for a slightly more secure feel in hand though.
Redesigned derailleur
As more and more features commonly seen on mountain bikes – disc brakes, suspension systems, wide tyres and so on – seem to be finding their way onto modern road bikes, so it is fitting that the new Dura-Ace 9100 rear derailleur has taken cues from Shimano’s top-tier mountain bike components.
The ‘shadow’ derailleur was first introduced in the mountain bike range to try to tuck the mech in much closer under the chainstay and behind the cassette, in short, so it didn’t stick out so far where it was vulnerable to being struck by rocks, tree stumps and the like.
That’s an important asset for off-road riding, but arguably less essential on the road. Although, that said, it may save the mech from some damage in a crash.
Regardless, it looks more techy, and the higher cable entry point means a shorter run of outer cable, plus there is now the opportunity for direct mount, once manufacturers get fully on board with thru-axles and dropouts accordingly.
Front mech alert
A few people had warned me the front mech was complicated and a bit of a headache to set up, but although it is more complex than the previous design it is really not of huge concern.
In fact the cable-clamping mechanism is actually less fiddly than the outgoing tall-arm mech – a design that had a little pin to direct the cable’s entry point depending on its angle of approach.
At least that has gone. It never really worked as well as it should have in principle anyway.
Now the cable entry is self-explanatory, and easily achieved, but what happens after is the slightly more tricky part.
Instead of just cutting the cable off, usually about an inch or so from the clamp and crimping on a cable end, the cable must now be fed back around behind the mech and positioned in a kind of loop, held in place with a small plastic cap, before it’s cut and crimped.
Redesigned
The reason is the new mech activates with a sort of a twisting movement, rather than the older lever design.
This is supposedly to lighten the shift action, but also to increase the clearance behind so as not to foul against wider tyres.
What’s more, and ‘praise be’, there’s an integrated cable tensioner, via a grub screw on the top of the mech.
Why was this little gem never thought of sooner? It’s a superb feature, arguably the best upgrade of the entire 9100 Dura-Ace groupset.
It’s super easy to use and thankfully spells the end for unsightly in-line cable adjusters forever. Great news.
Better braking?
Shimano claims the braking force on the new 9100 callipers is improved too, compared to its predecessor, thanks to an internal brake booster.
Like the shifting advances though, I’m at pains to try and actually detect the enhancement out on the road.
The old 9000 brakes were considered by many as the benchmark in the industry, and these are still every bit as good with a solid feel at the lever and powerful, progressive braking on tap, for confident stopping.
The quick release mechanism has been repositioned such that the lever now sits entirely in-board, rather than poking out the side.
Shimano hasn’t made any aero claims about the roughly 0.01 watt saving this might bring, but every little helps. Of course I jest, but regardless it looks a little neater.
The most relevant element to the new shape of the calliper is that it’s more sculpted to take up to 28mm tyres, keeping it in line with current trends.
Worth the upgrade?
Overall, would I rush out and buy the Dura-Ace 9100 groupset? Not if I already had Dura-Ace 9000.
The changes, to my mind, are 90% aesthetic, and 10% functional improvement (and aesthetics are subjective anyway), plus most of the 10% functional enhancement is in the front mech.
So with that knowledge, and as the shifting actuation has not changed, which means there is cross-compatibility between the 9000 and 9100 components, I might be tempted to just buy the new 9100 front mech.
However if you’re dreaming of a new bike equipped with this latest range topping kit then 9100 is still very much worthy of the Dura-Ace moniker, and deserving of the top slot in the Shimano’s hierarchy.
You won’t be at all disappointed.
Verdict: Not a huge leap forward from Dura-Ace 9000, but front mech improvements and future-proofing versatility keep Shimano at the head of the field.
madison.co.uk
Launch and first look: Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 groupset
Yesterday saw the launch in Caen, France of the long awaited, yet much-leaked new Dura Ace groupset, the 9100 (although technically 9150 for the Di2 fans).
For a summary of our first impressions and a cursory first ride, read on.
Big impression
First thing’s first, Shimano brought no power meters to play with; according to Japanese road production manager, Takao Harada, they’re all with pro team FdJ.
It’s a similar story with the fully finished Di2 version, the Dura Ace 9150, so this article mainly concerns the mechanical 9100 groupset plus a look at Shimano’s fully automatic and semi-automatic sync shifting system on the 9150.
For more information on the basics of the groupset click here: Shimano Dura Ace 9100 unveiled
Overall impressions of the mechanical 9100 are very positive, although the aesthetics are potentially divisive – if there’s a day the traditional road bike died, it might well be this.
Angular, sci-fi and functional are all words we’d level at the new Dura Ace.
That, and black. But no ordinary black. The Terminator-style claw (you know the one, in the glass case at the beginning of Terminator 2) of the rear mech is a smoked grey/black fade of an exoskeleton, with a carbon mech cage and a elements like the honeycomb back plate of the mech body hollowed and lightened to within an inch of its alloy.
If you liked those smooth organic lines of DA mechs in the past – the 7800 was a particularly fine vintage – you’ll probably have something to say about this new 9100 mech.
However the STI levers remain very pleasing to the eye, as well as to the touch. The hoods are that bit tackier and comfier compared to before, though maintain a virtually identical size, and the size of the down-cassette shift lever paddle has been increased to make it easier to reach in the drops.
If there’s an area of a new groupset that always divides it’s the chainset. Remember when Campagnolo lost that fifth spider arm?
No you don’t because you obliterated that awful memory with excessive drinking to numb the pain. So it is with the 9100 chainset.
It will divide, not least in its chunky smokey blackness and asymmetric crank arm design that Shimano says is more efficient at transmitting power. You could be forgiven for thinking it’s carbon, but actually it’s alloy.
The front mech is a mechanical joy to behold. A cam with wrap-round cable (no more pinch bolts gnawing away at you expensive cables) helps provide the leverage in place of the lost long swing arm of the 9000.
It’s all very compact and neat, and while we haven’t yet used it, the addition of a grub screw on the mech for tensioning the cable that replaces a regular inline adjuster is a stroke of genius. Provided it works. Which it will. This is Shimano.
The last thing to add is the brakes, which look exceptionally slick, Shimano having tucked the quick release for the wheel in under itself, as opposed to jutting down at 6 o’clock.
It keeps the brake looking homogenous and smooth, and helps offset the fact it’s now that much wider to accommodate wider tyres and clearances.
Last word goes to the wheel quick release skewers. Well, two words actually: bang on.
First ride: mechanical
We must stress the first ride lasted less than an hour around the muddled streets of Bayeux, which though requiring lots of shifting, did not exactly test the drivetrain to its limits. Therefore we’ll keep it brief.
The mechanical groupset feels, well, entirely normal, very much like the 9000 before it. However, this is no bad thing, since the 9000 was – and is – an exceptional groupset: slick, fast and reliable.
The tangible differences are therefore small. New hoods, lever shape and increased paddle size are an improvement, though given the subjectivity of ergonomics not everyone will agree.
There is a patterned effect to the tackier rubber hoods, a little like Sram, that feels nice to the touch and grippy in the rain. The paddle is also definitely easier to reach in the drops, as too the slightly set back lever itself.
Actuation ratios (cable pull) is apparently the same as before, so you could feasibly use old levers – remember, this is still 11-speed – with new mechs and callipers, or old mechs and callipers with new levers. Old cassettes and chains are fine too, says Shimano.
The lever throw (the movement the lever blades/paddles go through before the ‘click’) is shortened, which isn't obvious unless you’re really looking for it.
However, the downshift, when the chain goes to ever smaller sprockets, is definitely snappier than before, the chain dropping quickly and cleanly.
We couldn’t tell you if the upshift was better or not, but both front and back felt positive and smooth – no better or worse than before.
Likewise, the brakes. The excellent PTFE-coated Shimano cables carried over from the last generation are super slick, giving great lever feel; the brakes themselves seem to work just fine on this limited test. Longer term will reveal more.
First ride: sync shift
This is where it gets really interesting. The bikes we got to ride were still prototypes, using old 9070 mechs (an indication of further inter-generational compatibility), but the system ostensibly functioned like the proper 9150 groupset will.
The idea of sync shifting is the brains in the Di2 system, making front chainring choices so you don’t have to in order to make pedalling seamless and cadence constant.
In full sync mode, that means as you buzz up and down the cassette, the front automatically shifts when you get to the extremities of the cassette.
For example, imagine starting in big front, small rear. Go up the cassette by holding the right hand shift button and when the chain reaches a middling sprocket, the front mech automatically shifts into the small ring as you seamlessly progress into the largest sprocket.
Think of it like a car’s sequential automatic gearbox compared to selecting gears in a manual.
All the shifts are carried out using just the buttons on the right lever. You can use the left lever to override it though.
Semi sync is a lesser version of the same system, and one we find harder to fathom. Imagine starting in big-big. Click the front shifter to drop to the inner ring and the rear mech automatically shifts up one.
The inverse is true when shifting from small-small: shift up to the big chainring and the rear mech automatically goes one down into a larger sprocket.
The idea in both systems is to help riders keep cadence between shifts and make the gear jumps more incremental. It is important to note that it’s a feature that can be turned off – in fact, usual Di2 shifting is still the default setting. The question, then, is do we need it?
The answer will be entirely personal. Many riders will claim they can make all the Di2’s decisions as well, if not better, Then again, people sniffed at Di2 altogether when it came out, and now look.
It's not quite ubiquitous, but is certainly de rigeur. It does feel kind of lazy, but it works seamlessly well and feels totally natural. Plus, it has a wonderful novelty factor that had us grinning.
We think in the long term, just like Di2, the sync shift will be a game changer. Campy is rumoured to have been working on its own version for a while now – after all, the mechanics are there in any electronic system, it’s just a matter of intelligent programing to utilise them.
So for Shimano to do such an amazing job of it in its first attempt already surely means the others will have to follow.
Whether you’ll be glad of it, only you can decide, but for Cyclist’s money this sync shift is the most important development since Di2 arrived, and we’ve no doubt it will win over a huge number of fans.
It’s also the most exciting thing we’ve seen from this launch. Until the power meter finally arrives…
vs. Sram and Campagnolo
So how does Dura-Ace 9100 mechanical compare to the competition? Operationally and ergonomically it is of course very different to Sram and Campagnolo. Shifting remains Dura-Ace’s strongest suit, feeling significantly slicker going up and down the cassette than both Sram and Campagnolo.
Likewise front shifting, which is the lightest action amongst the top mechanical groups.
Brake feel is supremely smooth and positive, and just edges both Red and Super Record in terms of power and modulation.
However, which groupset’s ergonomics are preferable is a subjective matter, though for Shimano fans the good news is the 9100 lever body size and shape is very similar to the last generation.
Shifting up (ie, going to smaller sprockets) is still a one click, one move affair, so here arguably Super Record with its five-at-a-time Ultrashift mechanism trumps the 9100, but all three groupsets still happily make multiple shifts down (ie into larger sprockets) for a single lever push.
Shimano has yet to release every individual component weight, but judging by the ones it has published it’s fair to assume 9100 won’t be lighter than the class leading Red 22 at 1,740g.
The 9100 STI shifters, for example, weigh a claimed 365g, whereas Red shifters are 260g. The 9100 rear mech is 158g, a Red rear mech 145g.
Aesthetics is a deeply personal thing, but there’s real departure here from any road groupset gone before, and that’ll undoubtedly polarise opinion and have Campyphiles waggling their judgemental fingers.
A full Di2 Dura-Ace 9150 groupset wasn’t available for test, only a prototype system, but based on that we’d say there was plenty on offer to challenge Sram’s eTap, even though Shimano has stuck with wires.
The revision of the charging port into a little frame or handlebar bung is very neat, though both home and pro mechanics will no doubt prefer the ease of eTap installation.
But it’s the Synchro Shift system that steals the show, putting the 9150 in a different league to both Red eTap and Super Record EPS.
That said, both Sram and Campagnolo could – in theory – programme their existing electronic groupsets to perform in a similar way. Whether they will is another story, with hydraulic disc versions of EPS and eTap on the way, the window of opportunity is there.
